Start Here. Kickstart Your Job Search with ChatGPT!

You've just received a lay-off notice. You might feel embarrassed, ashamed, angry, misled, victimized. Embrace these feelings, live these feelings, work through the painful cycle of acceptance. It feels like garbage, but it's perfectly normal. You don't let these feelings cripple you, though, because you know there's a job to be done. It's not the most fun job, but at some point, your task at hand turns to finding that next, even better, opportunity.

It sometimes helps to understand that you're not alone. In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Labor, in March 2023, the number and rate of layoffs and discharges increased to 1.8 million (+248,000) and 1.2 percent, respectively. And according to Demand Sage, 15.5 million people In the United States were laid off in 2022. What does this mean? It means that you can find solace in the fact that layoffs happen to the best of us. Yours truly experienced layoffs twice in the past 12 years.

Step 1: Define Your Future Role/Title/Position – Where Do You Want to Go?

Embark on your job search journey by envisioning the role, title, or position you aspire to. Think BIG and embrace your unique experiences, as they may be precisely what organizations need to address critical challenges. Remember, different organizations may use varying titles for similar positions, so include all relevant names in your search. Check out our step-by-step video for assistance.

Step 2: Craft Your Resumes with ChatGPT's Inspirational Guidance

Now that you have your job titles, we begin to build your RESOURCES. Your resources include your LinkedIn profile, your Resume, and your Cover Letters. How does ChatGPT help you build these?

Select your three favorite job descriptions and copy and paste the Role Description, Responsibilities, Knowledge, Skills, and Experience (skip the parts about company history, EEO, pay range, etc.) onto a Word Doc - hang onto this for future use. Give ChatGPT the following PROMPT, Chat, I will be entering three different job descriptions. Based on these, please produce a list of 50 keywords ranked in importance from one to fifty [Shift + Enter and then Paste your job descriptions, performing a Shift + Enter between each one].

Copy and paste these keywords onto a Document and file it with your notes.

Next, you BEGIN to optimize your resume using the PROMPT: Chat, I am a [ex: Director Level Marketing Executive]. I will first enter my resume, then I will enter a list of fifty keywords ranked in order of importance. Please optimize my resume for [insert role/position]?utilizing important keywords along with metric-based achievements. [Shift + Enter, write: "Resume:" and paste your resume], [Shift + Enter, write: "Keywords:" and paste your list of keywords]

Go one step further. Take this new resume and before you do any editing, use the following PROMPT: Chat, I will first paste my new resume, and then a job description. Please optimize my resume for this particular job, using the keywords from the list above. [Shift+Enter, write: "Resume:" and paste your new resume], [Shift + Enter, write: "Job Description:" and paste your desired job description]

Copy and paste this output onto a Word Doc and hit "regenerate response" one to two more times adding these to your Word Doc.

Now the real work begins. Remember that ChatGPT is merely a "source of inspiration." Begin analyzing Chat's outputs and editing together a resume that reflects your skills, individual traits, and experiences. This resume should be filed in a folder with the name of the title you created this for.

Step 3: Enhance Your Discoverability on LinkedIn

Remember your three favorite Job Descriptions? You're using them again to begin optimizing your LinkedIn profile.

PROMPT: Chat, I will be entering three different job descriptions. Based on these, please produce a list of 50 relevant SKILLS I should be featuring on my LinkedIn profile [Shift+Enter and then Paste your job descriptions, hitting Shift+Enter between each one].

Check your current Skills List on your Profile Page to see how many of your 50 match Chat's list. Adjust as needed. Now go out and grab some Endorsements! Not sure how to ask your 1st Degree Connections to endorse your skills? Check out the answer here. Are Skills Endorsements important? According to LinkedIn: When a connection endorses your skills, it contributes to the strength of your profile, and increases the likelihood that you'll be discovered for opportunities related to the skills you possess.

CONGRATULATIONS! You've started your journey to landing that next job. What's next? Plenty. If you need some coaching on how to manage your time and clarity around the dozens of small steps needed to continue down the path to a successful job offer, shoot me a DM or click on THIS LINK and we'll have a complimentary conversation. Leave me a comment on what you liked or didn't about this newsletter. Stay motivated, stay focused, and embrace the possibilities that lie ahead!